Although, Annie
Sloan developed her famous Chalk Paint® for "old world" finishes,
you don't have to love the "old world" finish to use Chalk Paint®!
If you want a
"modern" smooth painted finish, like those found on Mid-Century
Modern furniture or contemporary French furniture, it is easy to achieve with a
few easy steps.
Our preferred
method of achieving a smooth finish begins with selecting the correct paint
brush.
Some of our favorite brushes for a smooth finish:
Made of pure, natural, fiber bristles and specifically designed to be used with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint®, but firm enough to use for Annie Sloan Soft Wax applications. This brush holds a lot of paint eliminating the number of "passes"
needed to achieve a solid coat a paint. The less passes needed to cover your piece
the less texture created. Beautifully crafted and made to last a lifetime!
Annie Sloan Flat Brush
Annie specifically designed this synthetic fiber brush to be used with Chalk Paint® to create a smooth, "silky", modern finish. This brush is considered a "flat brush" but is dense enough to hold a lot of paint and distribute the paint evenly.
This brush is sometimes called a "varnish brush",
and was designed to be used with Clear Topcoat Sealer by Artisan Enhancements.
The combination of both natural and
synthetic bristles help the brush glide along, reducing brush strokes , creating
an even application of sealer. The same properties make this brush a good brush
to use when creating a smooth paint finish. Just be sure to clean thoroughly when switching from paint to sealer. Or have two brushes!
The Method
- Paint the first coat in even, clean, and linear strokes. Limit the number of passes and strokes used to apply Chalk Paint® to the piece of furniture. Allow the first coat to completely dry.
- TIP: For an extra smooth finish, once the first coat is dry, very lightly sand the first coat of the newly painted surface with 400 - 1000 Grit sandpaper. Brush off any sandpaper or paint particles.
- Using a spray water bottle, very lightly mist the surface of the first coat, then begin painting the 2nd coat of paint. If you feel the paint is drying too quickly. Lightly mist the surface again.
- Allow 2nd coat of Chalk Paint® to completely dry.
- Distress your piece on edges with 220 grit sandpaper if desired. For a sleek modern look skip the distressing!
- TIP: For an extra smooth finish, VERY LIGHTLY sand the second coat of the painted surface with 800 - 1000 Grit sandpaper. Brush off any sandpaper and paint particles before waxing.
- Seal your piece with just clear wax for a fresh Mid-Century Modern look or with a combo of Annie Sloan Soft Clear & Dark wax for an antiqued Mid-Century aesthetic.
- TIP: For an ultra modern contemporary, glossy finish, use Artisan Enhancements Clear Finish only instead of wax.
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| Pictured: Smooth Finish using Custom Mix of Antibes Green and Florence. Graphite dry brush and finished with Clear Wax. |
To see Annie's Smooth Technique visit her YouTube page to see her 3-Part tutorial on creating a smooth finish.
